Today’s edition of quick hits.
* Crisis conditions in Gaza: “Doctors, aid groups and Palestinians say the long-running hunger crisis has reached a tipping point, with deaths from malnutrition surging. In the past 24 hours, hospitals in Gaza recorded nine deaths from malnutrition, the Palestinian Health Ministry said Friday in a statement, bringing the total number of deaths from malnutrition since the start of the war to 122, including 83 children.”
* Thailand and Cambodia inch toward war: “At least 16 people have been killed in armed clashes between Thailand and Cambodia, as tensions over a century-old border dispute spiral into the worst fighting between the two Southeast Asian nations in more than a decade.”
* We’re still waiting for an explanation for why these funds were frozen in the first place: “The White House will release $5.5 billion in frozen education funds, administration officials announced on Friday, bringing an end to a chaotic month for school districts that had counted on the money with just weeks to go before the start of the school year. President Trump had faced growing pressure over the delay from within his own party, including from 10 Senate Republicans who had signed a rare public letter urging the White House to release the funds.”
* More camps are on the way: “The Federal Emergency Management Agency is preparing to send $608 million to states to construct immigrant detention centers as part of the Trump administration’s push to expand capacity to hold migrants. FEMA is starting a ‘detention support grant program’ to cover the cost of states building temporary facilities, according to an agency announcement. States have until August 8 to apply for the funds, according to the post.”
* A process worth watching: “U.S. District Judge James Boasberg said on Thursday he may initiate disciplinary proceedings against Justice Department lawyers for their conduct in a lawsuit brought by Venezuelans challenging their removal to a Salvadoran prison in March.” * This seems due for some public conversation: “It’s been nearly a week since Dahud Hanid Ortíz, sentenced by a Venezuelan court to 30 years in prison for a gruesome triple murder, was last seen publicly — grinning triumphantly as he arrived in Texas, having been freed through an expansive deal brokered at the behest of President Donald Trump. Since then, as the disturbing details of Hanid Ortíz’s past have come to light, the Trump administration has refused to disclose his whereabouts or explain why a convicted killer was included in a prisoner swap touted by the White House as fulfillment of Trump’s promise to liberate Americans wrongfully detained abroad.” * Remember him? “Former Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., reported to federal prison on Friday to begin serving an 87-month sentence after pleading guilty last year to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, related in part to his campaign finances. Santos, who turned 37 on Tuesday, surrendered to Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Fairton in Fairton, New Jersey, the Federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed to NBC News. ” Have a safe weekend.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
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